The contact lens blog. Insights about fitting, technology, and the business of contact lenses.

Usually, people between the ages of 40 and 45 will start to see the effects of presbyopia. As we wrote about in a previous post, presbyopia is a natural process that makes it difficult to read small print because the lens inside the eye becomes less flexible. This flexibility is what allows the eye to change focus from objects that are far to objects that are close.

Your eye doctor can suggest a variety of options to correct presbyopia. Some common options to correct presbyopia include:

Reading Glasses: Patients can use these for reading, computer use, and other activities that require close vision.

Bifocal, Trifocal or Progressive Glasses: These are worn for seeing at all distances. However, since the reading portion is in the lower part of the lenses, seeing up close in a straight ahead gaze is difficult. Since people typically use computers with the screen directly in front of them, this is not an ideal situation. Another issue is that the reading area and field of view of these eyeglasses is relatively small. This requires patients to move their head in order to see wider areas like a computer screen or newspaper.

Monovision Contact Lenses: One way to wear contact lenses for presbyopia is to wear one lens for reading in one eye and one lens in the opposite eye for seeing in the distance (or just one lens in one eye for reading - if no distance prescription is necessary). This is called monovision. The problem with monovision is that you are only seeing with one eye at either distance or near and your vision in between them may be blurred. You also lose depth perception and the vision is never as clear as when both eyes are seeing at the same distance.

Multifocal Contact Lenses: This is another option for people with presbyopia. Like progressive glasses, the vision is corrected for all distances. However with contact lenses, a person is always looking through the center of the lens. Both the distance and near corrections have to be in the center of the lens. This creates simultaneous vision where both near and distance images are created. It takes some time for patients to adjust because the brain has to learn to select the clearer image depending on what is being viewed. The advantage of multifocal contacts is that anywhere that you look, you are looking through the center of the lens. It is also a great option for patients who are active and want to look their best.

CooperVision offers a variety of multifocal contact lens choices. The latest offering is to ask your eye doctor about is a daily disposable multifocal contact lens called Proclear 1 day multifocal contact lenses. Make sure to ask your eye doctor about what option is best for you.

Presbyopic patients have not had too many options in the past when it came to contact lenses. As a result, contact lens usage drops among patients after the age of 45 which is when patients need vision correction because of presbyopia. The good news is that now, there are a lot of new multifocal contact lens options available. Is your practice ready to help fit these patients with new multifocal contact lenses?

Here are some tips to help you grow a successful multifocal practice:

Focus on Your Patients: It helps when eye care practitioners ask patients what they need vision correction for. Does the patient need it for precision work? Does the patient need uncompromised distance vision? Are there lifestyle needs that the patient has where eyeglasses are not a great option? It is easier for eye care practitioners to decide which patients may be the best candidates for multifocal contact lenses once those questions are answered.

Learn About Fitting For Presbyopes: Fitting prospective multifocal contact lens patients the first time can be challenging. Take advantage of contact lens manufacturers’ fitting tools in order to ensure that your patients are fit right the first time. CooperVision offers a fitting tool called the MultiTrak Calculator to help you calculate multifocal lens parameters directly from a spectacle prescription or an over-refraction, using lens-on-eye information. MultiTrack is available for your desktop computer and is a Web-based application, which gives you the added benefit of being able to order lenses directly from the application.

Follow Up: Patients with presbyopia will need a follow up just to ensure that the vision correction is ideal for them. Following up with patients after a few days will allow eye care practitioners to adjust the prescription in necessary or even recommend a different modality based on the patient’s lifestyle needs. For example, patients who would like to wake up and see right away may benefit from extended wear contact lenses such as CooperVision’s Biofinity Multifocal contact lenses. If patients don’t want to deal with the hassle of contact lens maintenance, there is even a daily disposable multifocal contact lens option. CooperVision just introduced Proclear 1 day multifocal contact lenses. Whatever the need your presbyopic patient has, there are options.

Make sure to take advantage of the latest multifocal contact lens offerings and watch your multifocal practice thrive!

Are you interested in building your practice? Make sure to catch today’s second part of a webinar series called Your Practice In Focus.

This second webinar is Fitting Patients With Multifocal Daily Disposables. Daily disposable lenses have many advantages over other lens modalities. It is a segment of contact lenses that is growing rapidly. Another significant segment is the presbyopic population. According to a recent study, 25 percent more people globally are expected to become presbyopic by the year 2020. This is incredibly significant given that the pool of presbyopes is already estimated at more than one billion worldwide.

However, the choices for lenses that are both multifocal and daily disposable are very limited. Eye care practitioners have had to have patients choose between vision performance and convenience, but that is no longer the case. With CooperVision’s Proclear® 1 day multifocal contact lenses, eye care practitioners will have a high performance multifocal contact lens that is also a convenient daily disposable.

This webinar, hosted by CooperVision’s Senior Manager of Clinical Research, Paul Chamberlain, will provide an overview of Proclear 1 day multifocal contact lenses and the benefits of building your multifocal practice. Don’t miss out! Make sure to register for this exciting webinar here.

More than one billion people worldwide have a vision condition called presbyopia, which is a natural decrease in the ability of the lens in the eye to change its shape to focus on close objects. We’ve all seen others struggle with trying to read menus and newspapers. Maybe it has even happened to you.

CooperVision announced the launch of Proclear® 1 day multifocal daily disposable contact lenses for patients like you who are looking for a convenient, comfortable, and healthier lens to wear full time, occasionally, or to complement progressive eyeglasses or reading glasses.

“When it comes to your vision or the way you live your life, we don’t think anyone should have to compromise,” said Dennis Murphy, Executive Vice President, Global Sales and Marketing, CooperVision. “With Proclear® 1 day multifocal lenses, vision is clear near, far, and in-between, without the need for spectacles.”

Not only is it a high performance contact lens, it is comfortable too. Proclear® is the only lens material cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the claim that it: “May provide improved comfort for those who experience dryness or mild discomfort during lens wear.” This is especially important for patients who often find that age-related dryness is an issue and deterrent for wearing contact lenses. Proclear® also offers natural biocompatibility, meaning that the lenses are made to imitate the cells of the human eye.

It is convenient too. With daily disposable lenses, the cost and hassle of contact lens maintenance is eliminated. And because the lenses are replaced each day, they are one of the healthiest contact lens options available. Proclear® 1 day multifocal lenses provide patients with the freedom to maintain an active and social lifestyle, allowing the wearer to decide whether to wear the lenses all day, part of the day, or reserve them for special situations. Plus, as your prescription changes, your eye care practitioner can easily adjust it, which means minimal disturbance to your vision, shorter appointments, and fewer follow-ups.

The lens will be launched initially in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and a number of European countries. Click here to learn more on the Proclear® 1 day multifocal.

Patients who may have had perfect vision all of their life will start to notice vision issues after the age of 40. This is a normal part of the aging process. Just like a patient’s body, a patient’s eyes will change after time. Aging changes in various parts of the eye can result in a number of noticeable differences in how well a patient can see.

One issue that affects older patients is presbyopia. As we wrote about in a previous blog post, presbyopia is a condition that affects patients over the age of 40. It’s a natural process that makes it difficult to read small print because the lens inside the eye becomes less flexible. This flexibility allows the eye to change focus from objects that are far to objects that are close. While it is a normal part of the aging process, it can be a cause of frustration for some patients. The good news is that there are a variety of different options to correct presbyopia. Some common options are bifocal glasses, reading glasses, or contact lenses. Here are some contact lens options for presbyopic patients:

Proclear EP: For patients who are showing early signs of presbyopia, CooperVision has contact lenses called Proclear EP. Proclear EP is the first and only contact lens designed specifically for people who are just beginning to have trouble reading small type and seeing objects up close because of presbyopia.

Proclear Multifocal: Proclear Multifocal contact lenses are the only lenses designed to address two common conditions experienced by those with aging eyes: presbyopia and eye dryness. In fact, only Proclear lenses are cleared by the FDA for the claim: "may provide improved comfort for contact lens wearers who experience mild discomfort or symptoms relating to dryness during lens wear."

Biofinity Multifocal: CooperVision's Biofinity Multifocal is a high-performance, monthly silicone hydrogel lens for patients with presbyopia. It provides excellent vision at distance, intermediate and near with Balanced Progressive Technology multifocal contact lens design. Since these contact lenses are an extended wear option, an eyecare professional can recommend these contact lenses for patients who require overnight wear.

Proclear 1 Day Multifocal: Coming soon, CooperVision’s Proclear 1 Day Multifocal contact lenses will be the newest offering for presbyopic patients. This is a great option for patients who want the convenience of a daily disposable contact lens but need vision correction for presbyopia. Look for it in early summer!

Football playoff season is in full gear and fans around the country are courageously rooting for their favorite team. We want to make sure that everyone can see their teams clearly — near, far and everywhere in between!

With today’s smartphone and tablet technologies keeping up with scores and stats should be easy, right? Maybe not for those over 40 fans suffering from presbyopia, switching from small screens near and far can be a challenge. CooperVision’s Biofinity Multifocal Contact Lenses can provide patients with outstanding vision, health and comfort all day.

Multifocal contact lenses focus light from both near, intermediate, and far distances to the back of the eye, creating the clearest possible image. This unique system uses two different, yet complementary, lenses that work together to provide clear vision near or far.

Ask your eye care practitioner if our Biofinity Multifocal lenses can help you keep up with your favorite team this season! Click here to find an eye care practitioner near you.

Having trouble focusing on near objects? Do you find yourself squinting to read a menu, or moving a book farther away from your face in order to see more clearly? You may be experiencing one of two very common vision conditions - hyperopia or presbyopia.

What is hyperopia?Commonly referred to as farsightedness, hyperopia is a condition in which the eye is underpowered. Objects in the distance are viewed clearly; however objects close-up appear blurry. Symptoms include squinting, eyestrain, and near objects appearing blurry. Occasionally, headaches may occur when focusing on near objects (during activities such as reading or sewing) for an extended period of time. Hyperopia is usually present at birth and tends to run in families.

What is presbyopia?Presbyopia is a natural part of aging in which the lenses in the eye thicken and lose their elasticity, and the muscles surrounding the lens weaken. This causes the worsening of vision and the decreasing of focus, especially on near objects. Symptoms include blurred vision (which can worsen in dim light or when you are fatigued), eyestrain and headaches. The condition usually starts around age 40 and progresses through age 60.

I think I may have hyperopia or presbyopia. What do I do?Contact your eye care professional, who can perform a comprehensive eye exam, which will help detect either condition. Contact lenses or glasses can correct both hyperopia and presbyopia.

Spherical contact lenses or glasses can correct for hyperopia - correction requires a "plus" lens containing additional optical power to permit sharp vision of near objects. Multifocal contact lenses or glasses can correct for presbyopia - multifocal contacts focus light from both near, intermediate and far distances to the back of the eye, creating the clearest possible image. For more information, click here or talk to your eye care provider.

Just like any other part of your body, your eyes age as you get older. In honor of Healthy Aging Month, here are a few tips to help keep your eyes healthy as you age.

Visit your eye care practitioner - comprehensive eye exams are recommended on a regular basis for adults and those who frequently use computers. For those 65 and older, as well as those with family history of eye disease, it is advised that you visit your eye care practitioner more frequently. To find an eye care practitioner near you, please click here.

Follow the 20-20-20 rule - if you frequently use computers, be sure to take a 20 second break after every 20 minutes of use. Stare at something approximately 20 feet away - this will allow your eyes to relax.

Stay up to date on the normal aging process for your eyes - continuously monitor your health and be aware of the normal changes to your eyes that occur with age. For a reference on vision conditions and eye health problems that commonly occur in older adults, please click here.

One of the most common changes to your vision as you age is an increased difficulty in performing near-vision tasks, like reading and close work. This is known as presbyopia, the worsening of vision that occurs with age. As you age, the lenses in your eyes thicken and lose their elasticity, and the muscles surrounding the lenses weaken. Presbyopia can be corrected with multifocal contact lenses or glasses. For more information on presbyopia, please click here.

Just about everyone will have a need for vision correction at some point during their lives - especially later in life, when reading small type becomes more difficult. By understanding the most common vision conditions, you’ll know what vision condition you have and how this condition can be corrected with contact lenses.

As with any issue involving your vision, an eye care professional is the best person to answer any questions you may have. Furthermore, only he or she will be able to provide you with an accurate diagnosis of your specific vision condition.

In honor of Presybopia Awareness month, which starts tomorrow, we'd like to test your knowledge! Watch along as Mark Malkoff heads to New York City's Grand Central Station to find out how many people can define presbyopia - how did you do?

Presbyopia is a condition that affects those patients over the age of 40 – it’s a natural process that makes it difficult to read small print. The good news is it’s correctable. Be sure to talk to your eye care provider about CooperVision multifocal contact lens options.

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On Eye is the contact lens blog from CooperVision. On this site, you will find insights about fitting, technology, and the business of contact lenses. The On Eye blog is designed to meet the needs of both Eye Care Practitioners and consumers. ECP and medical professional-specific portions of the blog will be password protected in order to protect and reserve the privacy of the profession. To read more about our terms of use, please see the Legal tab.